Water Protectors of Standing Rock

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“From my perspective it’s very symbolic, obviously there are a host of environmental consequences that could happen in the future if the pipeline is actually built. I also think it represents a lot of the priorities of our policy makers, legislators, and people in power and what their priorities are for people of this country.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“I do. I thin it’s hard to do, but I also think that given recent events and the climate of our country right now that it might be easier to take this energy and place it somewhere else then if this had happened 5 years ago because I feel people right now are more willing and feeling like they need to be united in different ways. I think it could be if they had the right leadership.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“As a teacher it affects me in a lot of different ways, I have already seen the affects on our students and how fearful they are for their families and just trying to help them deal with that. I think personally, in so many different ways. Specifically I think about my family who is Tunisian so they are all Muslim. I don’t think my sisters would be able to come visit me now. I think about how my family would be viewed and there’s so many different things have been talked about in terms of Muslims and coming in this country. I think of an Afghani refugee family that we mentor and I think about what their lives look like right now and what the future might look like for them if people really feed into this fear mongering that’s happening with Islam. I think about my kids and their parents and how many of my kids are not here legally, but this is where they belong and this tis their country. It might not affect me directly, but everyone I love.”

Benji Buffalo

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“It’s just like Iowa, when they went under the Mississippi, what can we do. It’s up to the president, it’s up to the army corps of engineers to stop it. I have no idea what we do if it gets completed?”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“A lot of people from Iowa came here, now they have a thing they want to do in Florida, it’s warmer down there.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“It don’t ever affect me. I could care less about the president. If the law changes, the law changes. You just have to conform and do whatever they say. If it’s a law, don’t break the law. If things change and the economy changes, you’ve gotta go with it. There’s nothing you can do. It’s them with the money that control things. I’m not a puppet, I just live. Still go home, have to go to work. I still have to raise my kids whether Donald Trump is president or not.”

Holly Jean-Montoya

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“We’re going to continue to extract resources that are depleting the earth and creating a lot of problems for everyone living on this planet.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“I think is in people taking responsibility for their own lives and not contributing to this problem. We’re here coming together and informing each other and learning together, but at the end of the day we continue to put money in their pockets, they’re going to continue doing what they’re doing. We can only ask them to stop so many times until we have to take responsibility with our own actions and start a movement that way.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“It’s inspiring me to take my life to the next level of awesomeness. I’ve got a lot of work to do to live in a way that’s harmonious and do the right thing. Donald sucks, but he happened.”

Matthew Bishop

What happens if the pipeline get’s completed?
“There will be another thing. You have to keep on moving. Especially considering the nonviolent nature of things.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“Absolutely. More importantly, this isn’t going to be the last time indigenous peoples are threatened or marginalized. The fight on that side continues as well. The one really good thing that comes of this is global attention, to the fossil fuel fight and the way American treats it’s indigenous people.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“I’m lucky, I’m not a marginalized person, I’m not a minority, and I live in a community that’s well educated and fairly liberal. It probably won’t affect me personally that much. Where it will affect me is emotionally and seeing what it does to other people.”

Chimalli Cuetlachtli

What happens if this pipeline gets completed?
“It will be disastrous for the environment and 18 million people that live off of the water along this river and for the planet.

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“I think so. It’s a matter of building organization and capturing the momentum. We have to be smart about that. A lot of times what we fail to do is capture the momentum and solidify an organization and move on to the next project. If we’re able to do that and build a network, yeah, we can do it.

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you??
“The racist attitudes people have been showing a lot more lately because they feel more emboldened by his election. I had coworkers come out and make some racist statements and before Trump they were really quiet about their feelings. Saying things about Mexicans or people of color, even using terms like “nigger” or “wetback” in the same sentence. When they use those terms, it’s hate speech. I don’t hate you, but I know that you hate me. I know your real feelings about me and my people. Liking my food or liking our women or tolerating us is not the same as accepting us, as embracing us as equal to you. That’s what it really comes down to, we’re not seen as equals, we’re seen as lesser than. It has a direct effect. Every time I drive into a white community now, I’m wondering, are these people going to call the cops on me, are they going to try kill me, try to beat me up? That’s a real fear that we have. Driving up to North Dakota, driving through Wyoming and other areas, and walking into a gas station that’s full of white people, and they all turn their head to look at you, I don’t belong there. Seeing those stares, I have to puff my chest out and hold my head up and say no, you’re not going to look at me that way. For someone else who does not have that strength, they may put their head down and get themselves beat. Because people will feel emboldened. That’s happening more often. We’re seeing it more attacks happening in our community. People being beat up, people being yelled at and harassed and threatened and one days it’s going to become more physical and someones going to get killed.

Do you have anything you want to say to white folks?
“Recognize your privilege. Stop hating, stop trying to be superman and trying to save us. Change comes from within, and everyone has to change. It’s a long process, because there’s an establishment. Systemic racism, and a lot of white people don’t realize it. They say “I like you people”, but they don’t understand the racist undertones and ethnocentrism that’s built into that kind of statement. When you go into a space that’s dominated by people of color who are trying to empower themselves don’t try to push your agenda or try to be superman. Respect the space and respect that they have the ability to organize and empower themselves. Lend a hand with resources, with knowledge, with money. Don’t try to save us or push an agenda on us and belittle us or talk down to us like we’re children, because we’re not. We’ve come a long way, and we do want to build community with white people. It’s not about hate, we’ve never been about hate, we’re just trying to empower ourselves, and see ourselves as equal human beings. This is a space that was created by indigenous people. The white people that come here respect that and respect our ways.”

Amanda Weatherspoon

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“I think people will still continue to resist it. I think people will still resist the building of it and continue to band together. “

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“Yes, I think it’s all connected. I don’t think this is separate from anything else. It’s focused on this particular pipeline, but I think this spirit of it is connected to all the ways in which our natural resources are targeted and how it’s targeted into poor or marginalized communities. Yes. I think the focus can be transferred to any pipeline or any other environmental type of degradation.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“As a human being, any kind of fascist power being placed in that kind of office is dangerous. His appointees are dangerous, and most of all, the sentiment that he has put out into the world is very dangerous. It will affect me as an individual, but it also affects communities, and it also affects me as a minister and what I will have to do to step up to support people.”

Tom Goldtooth

What happens if the pipeline get’s completed?
“It’s not going to get built.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“The resistance will continue. We’re taking on all fossil fuel development and extraction on indigenous land and we will continue to address the issue of the market system around fossil fuels. There’s still a lot of issues with hydraulic fracking that’s happening in the Bakken Oil Field too. There has to be many fronts as far as shutting down this whole Bakken Oil Field production. That’s what it is, that’s what flows through the pipeline. There’s the issue around corporate accountability, around the market, and right now the markets down in the Bakken Oil Field and there’s really no solid prediction about whether it’s going to recover or not. So if we continue to put pressure on the market system and start to life up reliable clean energy as a viable alternative that’s one thing we will continue to campaign around. Part of the campaign is the issue around climate justice. The Missouri River, as far as long term projection of 50-100 years, the water level will go down. The glaciers are melting and they are the source of the Missouri River. When these municipalities and state governments start to look at the reality of the serious impact of the climate crisis, they will have to look at alternatives. The continuation of business as usual with the drilling and extraction and burning of fossil fuels is not a sustainable solution. Our participation here to try to halt the DAPL is part or our bigger campaign of keeping fossil fuels in ground. That will continue.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“It does affect me and my family and our native people. He represents an old, outdated economic system that’s not sustainable. That economic system does not respect the living life cycles of Mother Earth. It’s an exploitative system built on the backs of people. It’s based upon unlimited growth. It puts economics before environment and protection of our water. He does not think highly of the rights of indigenous people. It’s going to be a long hard 4 years for us to defend who we are. We haven’t had any indication of his recognition and support of the rights of American Indian tribes and Alaska natives. One of the fundamental principles that we are putting forward is the right to prior and informed consent inn our relationship between our federally recognized tribes and the US Federal Government. Right now the existing policy is based upon consultation. There’s so many problems with consultation. For example, the failed policies here between the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, DAPL, and the Army Corp of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers has failed in government to government policy around consultation. The tribe has continually requested that there would be adequate process that they would be input in the decision making for this pipeline and that was not done. Many of us who work on indigenous and native issues and we have put forward the need to strengthen the policy on consultation to a higher standard to be informed prior to any development and to have an arena of freedom to have dialogue that there be no coercion or pressure imposed by corporations or governments and that tribes be fully respected based on our sovereignty and self determination. We ask to be fully informed of any positive or negative impacts moving forward with development. We want the freedom to say no. They haven’t done a full environmental impact statement. I think that would have been the avenue to address the concerns of the tribe regarding negative impact to important cultural and historical sacred sites as well as addressing the environmental concerns to mitigate and clean up potential spill, ruptures and leaks on this fracked oil going through the pipe. That’s the basis of some of our concern.”

Olivia One Feather

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“It’s not going to get completed. I really feel in my heart that all the powers that are here and all the spiritual, amazing love that is here is going to allow us to stope the construction and stop the black snake.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“It could. It also could be better if more people could engage and join those other fights and not necessarily take away from standing rock until we have completed our mission of protecting the earth and keeping the water and air clean for future generations. If they could join together as forces and if they are closer to actions, I think these kinds of camps could exist everywhere there is a pipeline if enough people would engage and do it.”

Will the election of Donald Trump have an effect on you.
“I feel like we should probably work our hardest to find a way to impeach him and maybe revise our government like Iceland did. How they overthrew their government and reelected new people. We could just bring the constitution back and strip some of the amendments that have been made and revise it because it’s an old system, it’s out of date, and it’s time for something new.”

Char Braxton

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“It’s the continuous destruction of our earth, a community, a tribe, women, children. This pipeline represents destruction, we represent life. The goal of being a human is to help out others with their cause and it makes it my cause, because we’re all one. We’re all hooked together in this human chain, and that chain links to the earth.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“Definitely. There’s a spirit here and an energy that will resonate more and more and start elsewhere helping the cause for the earth.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“I hope he will make the right decision, but looking at his record and a lot of things he said agains this right here and people of color, it’s going to be a movement where it’s the citizens against the government.”

Joseph H Catches

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“I’m predicting that it’s not going to be completed. I really believe that with all the prayer and strength here that it’s not going to be completed. I believe it’s going to be eventually halted and torn completely down.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“Oh yes, I really do. I think it’s already started. We’re getting world wide attention and it’s good. “

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“He’s not my president. As far as affecting me, I’m going to go about my daily life as normal and take things as they come. He could push the button before we even think.”

Vinton James

What happens if the pipeline is completed?
“It has a deeper meaning I believe. I don’t care if this pipeline gets built. It’s about the message. We may not win the physical victory, but this camp is a spiritual battle.

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“Yeah, I believe so. Maybe this will open up peoples eyes a little bit.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“I’ve lost all hope in the American political system. I don’t support anything he’s involved with.”

Jane Eaglespeaker

What happens if this pipeline get’s completed?
“I think there will be a lot more direct action. All these people are praying so hard, it can’t be. It’s got to be Obama’s last thing he does. If he does anything he’s gotta stop this pipeline. We got word that’s its going to be delayed, which is some good news, but it just means that our people are going to be out here even longer. It’s going to snow tomorrow, and some elders don’t even have winter shelters. Trying to explain so many things to so many people and there’s so much to do, it’s just overwhelming. It’s really wonderful how so many people came together.

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“They’re doing it all over. This is not just the pipeline. It’s so much more. It’s our ancestors, it’s our land, it’s our people. WE’ve got graves all over out here and people don’t even know they’re there and they get desecrated. I don’t see why we couldn’t do it other places. I just get sad when you hear on the security walkie talkies, you can hear those DAPL workers up there. They’re just full of hatred. The things they say are just unbelievable. I know they live sheltered lives outside of the urban areas, but we’re people. It’s peaceful here. I wish they would just come down and see, they may want to join us.

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“Thank god I’m part Canadian. I don’t think I can give up the fight that easy because I was born here. I think it’s going to affect everybody. I know it’s going to. Seeing this camp here gives me a lot of hope. Look at all these people from all over the world. We always had Donald Trumps everywhere. Donald Trump ain’t nothing new. WE have people like that all over. It’s this that matters. It’s people coming together and supporting fellow man and standing up for what is right. Donald Trump can’t take that power away from us. He can try, but we’ve been oppressed for 500 years, and we still here.”

Georgie Ann Lilgreen (Jumping Mouse)

What happens if the pipeline is completed?
“It’s poison. It’s our health, it’s our way of life. We’re standing for future generations. This land that we stand on and the things that we do, gives us life. This is what keeps us alive. We are made of it, and we can’t live without it and yet we continue to move forward in a way where we’re disregarding that fact. We’re not taking it into consideration.”

Is this resistance movement something that can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“Absolutely. It is happening lots of places, in Alaska, all over the world. I would hope that this type of resistance would spread. I will go where I need to go, where the opportunity opens up. At the same time, I need to listen to the creator and make sure that I am walking the path that is meant for me to walk. This is so much more than just fight, it’s spiritual too.”

What affect will Donald Trumps election have on you?
“I wasn’t voting for either one of them. There’s so much that needs to happen. The direct effect hits all of us. Honestly, I’m not sure how much any president has say in anything. It’s the corporate minded people they’re bought by. This whole consumerism, excessive consumerism. It’s about finding a balance. That whole system affects all of us.

Edward P. Blackcloud

What happens if the pipeline gets completed?
“I really don’t think it’s going to get built, at least not through Lakota land, not through Hunkpapa land. It’s not going to get built. There’s too many people backing us here. When the clergymen came here, that was our biggest win. I see the hearts of our young and our old people and we need to keep this prayerful. We made a big enough statement, now the world stands up.”

Is this resistance movement something you can move to another fossil fuel fight?
“It’s possible. You guys stood with us, we will stand with you. A lot of these natives will go, but they don’t have the means.”

What affect will Donald Trump’s election have on you?
“I don’t know. They say bad things about him, but there’s good in every man. He’s a businessman, maybe he will do good things. He’s not a politician. Maybe what little bad he has in him, we all have bad in us, maybe that will turn to good. He can say all he wants, it doesn’t matter. We’re here, we’re not going anywhere.”